Women with operable breast cancer or other breast issues requiring surgery and who undergo breast surgery frequently suffer post-op inflammation. The prior art discloses various attempts at providing cooling to various areas of a human body. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,717, issued Oct. 15, 2002 to Smith et al., describes a bra with hot-cold inserts is a therapeutic device in the form of a vest-like elastic garment adapted to be worn on the human upper torso. The device includes front panels having pockets therein for retaining gel packs. The device is said to be effective in providing warm or cold therapy to the chest and rib areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,298,361, issued Oct. 13, 1942 to Freund, describes an ice or hot water breast bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,218, issued Jun. 20, 1967 to McAlpine, describes a post-pregnancy bra for reducing swelling and pain in a female body. The '218 patent refers to sets of interchangeable breast cups adapted to hold a cooling agent. The breast cups can be placed in turn inside a fridge and then in the '218 bra to provide a cooling effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,621, issued Dec. 7, 1976 to Fletcher et al., describes a device for enhancing the detection of malignant tissue in the breasts of a woman comprises a brassiere-like garment which is fitted with a pair of liquid-perfused cooling panels which completely and compliantly cover the breasts and upper torso. The garment is connected by plastic tubing to a liquid cooling system comprising a fluid pump, a solenoid control valve for controlling the flow of fluid to either the cooling unit or the heating unit, a fluid reservoir, a temperature sensor in the reservoir, and a restrictor valve to control the pressure in the garment inlet cooling line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,595, issued Sep. 24, 1991 to Krafft, describes a women's therapeutic support garment comprising a pair of breast supporting cups each of which is formed with an inner and an outer panel defining therebetween one of two cupped shaped pockets. A cupped shaped, thermal gel pack is placed in each pocket and has a central opening for accommodating the women's nipple. A pair of side panels are connected to the breast supporting cups, the side panels being dimensioned and configured to encircle the wearer and hold the breast supporting cups in place with the gel packs surrounding the women's breasts. The heat from each gel pack serves to reduce swelling and tenderness of the breast tissues during the premenstrual period, pregnancy or the post-partum period.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,348, issued Jul. 28, 1992 to Mayn, describes a contoured pack with a hot or cold pack having a main body portion and four radially extending portions attached thereto and integral therewith. The radially extending portions may have a width greater at their periphery than at the joining to the main body portion. The hot or cold pack is particularly useful for application to a curved contour such as breast, knee, ankle, shoulder or other body area to relieve post operative or post trauma pain and inflammation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,563, issued Jun. 27, 1995 to Manning, describes a breast wrap with two rectangular non-stretching panels of cotton flannel material joined over a user's back by short elastic strips, and joined in overlapping relationship across the breasts by upper and lower complementary hook-and-loop fasteners running marginally along upper and lower longitudinal edges. The panels run lengthwise in opposite directions from the user's back, under one arm, across both breasts, and terminate at a point located under the other arm; the panels run widthwise from above the breasts to below the breasts; and the fasteners are located so they will not be pressed into the breasts. Two rectangular open-ended pouches having pockets for crushed ice, are held between the overlapping panels by additional hook-and-loop fasteners that mate with fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,052, issued Oct. 21, 1997 to Rucki, describes a breast pack for providing warm or cold therapy to the female breast is disclosed. The breast pack can be formed of a generally C-shaped or semicircular top layer and bottom layer, each having a central opening, which layers are joined along their perimeter edges to define a pocket therebetween which is filled with a thermal gel material. The breast pack, when heated or cooled, retains such heat or coolness for a long period of time. In use, the breast pack is formed into a conical shape by overlapping its ends and adjusted to the size and contour of the user's breast. The breast pack can be retained in position within the user's bra. A central opening in the C-shaped breast pack accommodates the nipple area of the user's breast.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,715, issued Jun. 5, 2001 to Houser et al., describes a disposable therapeutic breast pad for heating or cooling the female breast during nursing comprising a generally disc-shaped, moisture-impervious outer layer and an absorbent material disposed inwardly of the outer layer adapted to be soaked in hot or cold water so that the breast pad may be positioned adjacent the female breast with the absorbent material in direct contact therewith to heat or cool the female breast during nursing.
The Applicant is unaware of inventions or patents, taken either singly or in combination, which are seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.